April 15, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – University of New Mexico senior Lee Emanuel shared Mountain West Conference Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week honors the league announced on Tuesday. Emanuel won the 800 meters in a career-best and MWC-leading time of 1:49.21 (altitude adjusted) to help lead the UNM men to a home victory over a four-team field at the inaugural New Mexico Tailwind Invitational on April 11.
The regional-qualifying time moved the Hastings, England product into a tie for ninth in the nation, while moving him into seventh on New Mexico’s all-time performers chart. It was the best time by a Lobo since 1986.
Emanuel has won four MWC Men’s Athlete of the Week awards (two indoor, two outdoor) in just 1 1/2 years at UNM – two more than any other Lobo since the conference was founded in 1999-2000.
The New Mexico men have captured six Athlete of the Week awards over the past three years after winning six awards from 2000-06.